Fluid motor



D. G. SKAGEN FLUID MOTOR Dec. 22, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1969 IN\ "ENTOR. By DAVID G. SKAGEN L ATTORNEYS Dec. 22, 1970 D. G. SKAGEN 3,549,289

FLUID MOTOR Filed April 3, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 2,

I8 I66 I I4 (:2 3 4 I6 66 2o r' 7 r g I 28 I06 9 96 90 k 2 B7 132 INVENTOR.

DAVID G. SKAGEN ATTORNE YS Dec. 22, 1970 QGSKAGEN 3,549,289

FLUID MOTOR Filed April 5, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IF1IG==5 62 H TWV'I K f"' 1'.

i i :10]l 1 r I l a IE]IG=-6 66 INVENTOR.

DAVID G. SKAGEN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,549,289 FLUID MOTOR David G. Skagen, Rte. 2, Box 924, Shelton, Wash. 98584 Filed Apr. 3, 1969, Ser. No. 813,094 Int. Cl. F03c 3/00; F04c 1/00, 29/00 US. Cl. 418239 28 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Reversible fluid motor and pump having a casing with a rotor cavity. The cavity includes working zones, sealing zones, and inlet-outlet zones. The rotor, mounted on a shaft, has radially disposed slots which receive vanes that are freely mounted for sliding movement in the slots. The vanes do not move relative to the rotor when progressing through a working zone or a sealing zone in the cavity. The casing has a closure head on each end to enclose the cavity, one of the heads including a vane guide means which projects into a recess in the rotor. The vane guide has guide surfaces which in conjunction with the zones or faces of the casing cavity positively move the free-mounted vanes. Outside of the heads are manifolds into which fluid is admitted or exhausted from the motor and which together with inlet-outlet ports in the heads direct fluid to and away from the inlet-outlet zones in the rotor cavity.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates generally to the field of vane type rotary motors and pumps and more particularly to reversible rotary type motors and pumps having guided, free floating vanes.

As those skilled in the art are aware, vane type motors and pumps have numerous drawbacks despite their many advantages. Many prior art devices have been constructed in such a way that the vanes are forced to move relative to the rotor when the vane is bearing the full fluid pressure load. Thus substantial friction and/ or resistance forces are created reducing the output efliciency of the motor. Another problem is that most vane type motors are so complex the rotor has to be removed completely from the housing or casing so that the vanes can be replaced. This results in high costs for maintaining, repairing, and replacing vanes in the motor. Another problem in many prior art devices is that the rotor cavity configuration in too many instances permits back pressures to accumulate on the low pressure side of a vane before it has completed a workng stroke thus greatly lowering efliciency. A related problem has been in establishing an effective seal between the vanes and the walls of the rotor cavity where the design permits back pressures. As a result additional structure has been built in to many prior art devices to positively or resiliently bias the vanes outwardly against the cavity faces particularly through a working stroke.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention is directed to a unique rotor and vane construction and rotor cavity configuration in a Vane type fluid motor and pump. Briefly, the motor includes a housing or casing having a rotor cavity which includes diametrically opposed working faces of predetermined arc. The cavity also contains opposed sealing faces located symmetrically between the working faces and also of predetermined arc. Between, each combination of working face and sealing face there is an inlet-outlet zone, in this instance numbering four. Heads are attached to each end of the casing to close the cavity and such heads Patented Dec. 22, 1970 "ice are provided with ports for admitting and exhausting fluid to and from the casing. One of the heads includes vane guide means which extends into a recess in the rotor for contacting a portion of the vanes. To each of the heads is connected a manifold section, one of which admits fluid and the other of which exhausts fluid.

Accordingly, it is among the many features of this invention to provide a reversible vane type motor and pump which can be easily disassembled for replacement of vanes. It is another feature that the vanes do not move relative to the rotor through the arc or curvature length of the working and sealing faces. It is another feature that there is no diminution of the fluid pressurizing space through the arc of a working face. It is another feature that the sealing faces prevent fluid pressure from passing to the other side of the rotor cavity and that such sealing faces restrain fluid from flowing toward an exhaust in a direction counter to the direction of rotation of the rotor. It is another feature that this motor and pump can be designed so that an output shaft extends from both ends or extends from only one end. It is another feature that there are no spring-loaded or push-rod operated vanes to complicate the replacement of vanes. The motor is double acting so that the rotor and shaft are balanced eliminating unbalanced loads on the motor bearings. The motor is simply but uniquely designed and therefore inexpensive to construct. Vanes in the motor can be replaced within a matter of minutes by removing one end only of the motor, that is, one manifold and one head and sliding the rotor out of the casing. The guide or cam surfaces on the projecting vane guide move the vanes out and the faces of the cavity are utilized to move the vanes inwardly. Finally, the motor is more eflicient and manifolds are standard in construction and therefore may be used at either end of the casing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the sections of the motor, including rotor block, heads and manifold;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled motor illustrating details particularly of the rotor, vanes, and vane guide;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 further illustrating details of construction in the casing, rotor, vanes, and vane guides;

FIG. 4 is a view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2 showing additional details of construction of the rotor and the casing;

FIG. 5 is a view showing one end of the casing block to emphasize the configuration of the rotor cavity;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5 to show a preferred construction for admitting and exhausting fluid in the inlet-outlet zones of the block; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the block showing an alternative construction for admitting and exhausting fluid into the rotor cavity.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) The motor, generally designated by the number 10, comprises a five piece housing or casing including block 12, heads 14 and 16 and end pieces or manifolds 18 and 20. The block has rotor cavity 22, the geometry of which is projected essentially off a central axis 24 which of course is also the aXis of shaft 26. For purposes of referencing beginnings and endings of faces and zones on the cavity wall, eight points are established which will help to define the various parts. Accordingly, the distance between angular points 28 and 30 is 45 and defines one working face 32. Working face 32 is a circular arc projected off axis point 24. Similarly, the angular distance between point 34 and 36 is 45 and is also a circular arc defining working face 38 projected off axis point 24. It will be noted that working faces 32 and 38 are diametrically opposed and projected on equal radius lines 40. In like manner the angular distance between points 42 and 44. is 45 defining a sealing face 46. Opposite sealing face 46 will be points 48 and 50, the distance between which is 45 and also defining sealing face 52. Sealing faces 46 and 52 are also projected on a circular arc by equal radius lines 54. Radii54 are a predetermined amount shorter than radii 40-but are, as stated above, taken from the same axis point 24.

Between each combination of sealing face and working face is an inlet-outlet zone. Each of the Zones represents an angular distance of 45. Curvature of the fluid inlet-outlet zones is established from projection points 56 and involves a shorter radius than either working face radius 40 or sealing face radius 54. The curvature should not be so deep that abrupt edges or ridges are formed along the points or lines which define sealing and working faces. Accordingly, the following inlet-outlet zones are established: zone .58 between points 28 and 44, zone 60 between points 36 and 42, zone 62 between points 34 and 50, and zone 64 between points 48 and 30.

A preferred form of the casing block is shown in FIGS. 1, and 6. It will be noted that elongated inlet passages 66 and 68 are drilled into the block in spaced relation to the walls of cavity 22. For purposes of illustration, and particularly with regard to FIG. 5, it will be assumed that the rotor is to turn in a counter-clockwise direction. Inlet passage 66 is located at the end of zone 62 furthest from working face 38. In like manner, inlet passage 68 is located at the end of zone 58 which is furtherest from working face 32. In order to connect inlet passages 66 and 68 with cavity 22, it is necessary to form bypasses 70 which are depressed cuts in the zone and which intersect passage 66 to establish openings between rotor cavity 22 and inlet-outlet passages. By pass 70 can be seen to extend from approximately point 50 to a point just short of point 34. Passage 66 does not extend entirely through the block but terminates short of the opposite side of block 12. Passage 68 communicates with cavity 22 by way of bypasses 72.

Passage 74 extends in from the opposite side of the block and is located in fluid inlet-outlet zone 60 at the end thereof furtherest from working face 38. Passage 74 communicates with cavity 22 through intersecting bypasses 78. In like manner passage 76 communicates with cavity22 by reason of intersecting bypasses 80. Passage 76 can also be seen to enter from the same side of block 12 as passage 74 and can be seen to terminate short of the opposite side of the block. If as stated above passages 66 and 68 are used as inlets, rotation of the rotor will be counter-clockwise and passages 74 and 76 will be used to exhaust the fluid after a vane has moved out of working areas 32 and 38. Conversely, when rotation of the motor is reversed, passages 74 and 76 will be used as inlets and passages 66 and 68 will exhaust the fluid. The

drawings show two communicating bypasses for each passage. It should be recognized that one bypass may be used or two as shown or perhaps even more is desired. In all cases the bypass formed into the cavity walls to intersect the inlet and outlet passage will extend approximately from reference point to reference point in each of the inlet-outlet zones.

The rotor generally designated by the number 90 is secured for rotation with shaft 26 by key 92. The rotor of course is cylindrical and is of approximately the same depth as block 12 and cavity 22. The diameter of rotor 90 is the same diameteras is used to project sealing faces 46 and 52 in the block with allowance for tolerances to allow free rotational movement of .the rotor in the block. The rotor has a mounting or rear portion 94 and a forward portion 96. A vane guide recess extends from the forward end of the rotor to approximately midway back through the depth of the rotor to define vane guide recess 98 which has rear wall 100 which in effect marks the beginning of the mounting portion 94 of the rotor. The rotor is provided with eight equispaced radial slots 102 which as can be seen in the mounting portion 94 extend from the periphery of the rotor to slightly more than half way to the shaft. In the forward portion 96 of the rotor which surrounds the vane guide, vane slots 102 are cut entirely through the rotor. Each vane slot 102 receives an elongated flat vane member 104 extending from end to end of cavity 22 and block 12. The outeredges 106 of the vanes are generally straight for engaging the various faces of the cavity wall. However, on the inner edge each vane will have a follower portion 108 which will be approximately the length of the vane guide, and which will be outwardly offset but radially inwardly extending. While the rotor 90 has been shown to be mounted on the shaft 26 by a keyway 92, it should be realized that the shaft could also be splined for mounting the rotor.

Attached at each end of block 12 for the purpose of sealing the rotor cavity are heads 14 and 16. Head 14 has an outer side and an inner side 122. Outer side 120 is a generally planar surface while the inner face 122 includes the vane guide structure. Inner face 122 of head 14 faces recess 98 of the rotor and has mounted centrally thereof a vane guide structure generally identified by the number 124. The vane guide has working surface guide 126, concentrically disposed with respect to working surface 38 of the cavity wall, and working surface guide 128 concentrically formed with respect to cavity wall working surface 32. 'In like manner vane guide 124 has sealing surface guide 130 concentrically disposed with sealing surface 46 and sealing surface guide 132 concentrically disposed with respect to sealing surface 52. The vane guide will also have vane transition surfaces 134, 136, 137 and 138 corresponding to inlet-outlet zones 60, 62, 64 and 58, respectively. See FIG. 3. It will be seen that there'are in fact a dual set of guide surfaces on vane guide 124 with slots 140 located between the pairs of transition surfaces and working guide surfaces. Vane guide 12-4has a central opening 142 exending therethrough and through head 14 to accommodate shaft 26. Vane guide 124 is preferably formed integrally with head 14. Head 14 shows an offset surface 144 to receive bearing ring. 146 to support the rotor and to assist in keeping it in proper alignment. Inlet or outlet openings 148 and 150 are located in head 14 to align with ports 74 and 76 in rotor block 12. Also disposed radially outwardly from the inlet-outlet openings 148 and 150 in head 14 is an annular groove to accommodate O-ring 152. On the opposite end of the block 12 is head 16 which is essentially a fiat closure plate of suitable thickness for sealing the other end of the rotor cavity. It will have openings therein, not shown, to register with inlet-outlet ports 66 and 68 in the block and an annular grove to receive O-ring 154.

At each end of the motor are attached manifolds 18 and 20. The manifolds for all practical purposes are interchangeable with each other. Manifolds 18 and 20 are thicker than heads 14 and 16 and will have a central opening therethrough to receive shaft 26. They will also have bearings 156 preferably recessed into the inner face 158. Packinggland structures 160 are received on the exterior side 162 for sealing the motor interior against shaft 26. Each of the manifolds 18 and 20 will have an annular manifold passage 164 which will align with inlet-outlet openings in heads 14 and 16. Each of the manifolds will also have an inlet or outlet connection 166 depending upon which direction the motor is being operated. The manifolds will also preferably include inner and outer O-ring structures 168 and 170 respectively for sealing the manifold against the head to prevent leakage. A plurality of bolts 172 will extend from the outer sides 162 of the manifolds through the manifold block through the head and be threadedly received into block 12 for securing the motor in sealed assembly for operation.

An alternative form of rotor block 12 is shown in FIG. 7. The geometry of the rotor cavity does not change. The only difference is that instead of using passageways or ports '66, 68, 74, and 76, inlet recesses 174 and 176- will align with openings in the head either for inlet or outlet and inlet-outlet recesses 178 and 180 may be substituted on the other side of the block 12 in place of passages.

In operation, if fluid under pressure is admitted to ports 66 and 68, reference being had to FIG. 1, the motor will turn counter-clockwise as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 5. Accordingly, passages 74 and 76 would function as outlets. Fluid will enter the rotor cavity in the inlet zones 62 and 58 and engage vanes in the inlet-outlet zone. It is in the inlet-outlet zones between working and sealing surfaces that the vane guide moves the vanes radially outwardly against the cavity wall. When a vane has moved from an inlet-outlet zone into a working zone, the vane guide and the working surface hold the vane in position so that there is no relative movement between the vane and the rotor slot through the 45 of working surface. As soon as a vane has passed out of the working zone, the fluid is permitted to bypass because of the bypass passages in the inlet-outlet zones. Thus pressure is taken off the vane and it is pushed back into the rotor slot by action of the cavity wall. By the time the vane has moved radially inwardly so that its outer edge 106 is essentially flush with the periphery of the rotor, it moves into the sealing zone where it assists in preventing the bypass of fluid around the rotor from a pressure inlet to an outlet counter to the desired flow direction. As stated above, vanes 104 do not move radially either inwardly or outwardly as they pass through either a sealing zone or a working zone. The vane guide surfaces and the sealing and working faces of the rotor cavity are complementary so that radial movement of the vanes is prevented. The vanes are moved only when they are relieved of pressure or when they have passed in or out of the inlet-outlet zones.

What is claimed is:

1. A reversible fluid flow device for use either as a pump or motor, comprising:

(a) a casing having a rotor cavity the walls of which include (1) opposed generally arcuate Working faces projected on a first radius of curvature from the axis of said cavity,

(2) opposed generally arcuate sealing faces projected on a second and lesser radius of curvature from the axis of said cavity, said sealing faces being disposed generally symmetrically between said working faces, and

(3) a fluid input-output-bypass zone located between each combination of working face and sealing face,

(b) a rotor means including generally radially disposed slots therein and further including vanes slidably received in said slots, and rotor being mounted on a shaft for rotation therewith,

(c) head means for closing both ends of said cavity, one of said head means including vane guide means having generally arcuate working guide surfaces concentric with said working faces and also having generally arcuate sealing guide surfaces generally concentric with said sealing faces, said head means also having fluid inlet-outlet openings for said fluid inletoutlet-bypass zones in said casing, and

(d) manifold means secured to each of said head means and having fluid inlet-outlet connections and manifold passages connected to said inlet-outlet openings in said head means.

2. The fluid flow device according to claim 1 and in which said working faces and sealing faces number two each.

3. The fluid flow device according to claim 2 and in which each working face, sealing face, and input-outputbypass zone extends through an arc of substantially 45 4. The fluid flow device according to claim 3 and in which the radial distance between said working guide surfaces and said working faces and the radial distance between said sealing guide surfaces and said sealing faces is substantially the same through said arcs.

5. The fluid flow device according to claim 4 and in which said rotor means is of substantially the same radius as said sealing faces for rotative movement in said cavity.

6. The fluid flow device according to claim 5 and in which said rotor means includes a recess therein for receiving said vane guide means.

7. The fluid flow device according to claim 6 and in which said slots extend entirely through that portion of the rotor surrounding said vane guide means.

8. The fluid flow device according to claim 7 and in which said rotor means has eight of said radially disposed slots.

9. The fluid flow device according to claim 8 and in which said input-output-bypass zones in said casing include fluid admission means located at the end of each of said zones furtherest in distance from its associated working face.

10. The fluid flow device according to claim 9 and in which each of said inlet-outlet-bypass zones includes passage means for bypassing fluid around a vane while it is moving through a zone.

11. A reversible fluid flow device for use either as a pump or motor, comprising:

(a) a casing having a rotor cavity the walls of which include (1) opposed generally arcuate working faces projected on a first radius of curvature from the axis of said cavity,

(2) opposed generally arcuate sealing faces projected on a second and lesser radius of curvature from the axis of said cavity, said sealing faces being disposed generally symmetrically between said working faces, and

(3) a fluid input-output-bypass zone located between each combination of working face and sealing face,

(b) rotor means including a plurality of generally radially disposed slots and having a recess in one end thereof so that said slots extend entirely through that portion which is recessed, said rotor means being of substantially the same radius as said sealing faces and being received for rotative movements between said sealing faces and thereby defining with said working faces a pair of working chambers, said rotor means being mounted on a shaft for rotation therewith;

(0) head means for closing both ends of said cavity, one of said head means including vane guide means received into the recess of said rotor means and having generally arcuate working guide surfaces generally concentric with said working faces and also having generally arcuate sealing guide surfaces generally concentric with said sealing faces, said head means also having fluid inlet-outlet openings for said fluid inlet-outlet-bypass zones in said casing, and

(d) manifold means secured to each of said head means and having fluid inlet-outlet connections and manifold passages connected to said inlet-outlet openings in said head means.

12. The fluid flow devices according to claim 11 and in which said working faces and sealing faces number two each.

13. The fluid flow device according to claim 12 and in which each working face, sealing face, and input-outputbypass zone extends through an arc of substantially 45.

14. The fluid flow device according to claim 13 and in which said vane guide means extends to approximately the midway point into said rotor means recess.

15. The fluid flow device according to claim 14 and in which the radial distance between said working guide surfaces and said working faces and the radial distance between said sealing guide surfaces and said sealing faces are substantially the same.

16. The fluid flow device according to claim 15 and in which said working guide and sealing guide surfaces also extend through an arc of substantially 45 17. The fluid flow device according to claim 16 and in which said input-output-bypass zones in said casing include fluid admission means located at the end of each of said zones furtherest in distance from its associated from the axis of said cavity, said sealing faces being disposed generally symmetrically between said working faces,

(3) a fluid input-output-bypass zone located between each combination of working face and sealing face, each of said zones having fluid admission-exhaust means located at the end thereof furtherest in distance from its associated working face and also having passage means adapted to bypass fluid around a vane while it is moving through a zone,

(b) rotor means including relatively radially movable vanes therein and being of, substantiallythe same radius as said sealing faces .and being received for rotative movement between saidsealing surfaces and thereby defining with said working faces a pair of working chambers, said rotor means being mounted on a shaft for rotation therewith,

(c) head means for. closing both ends of said cavity, one of said head means including vane guide means for said rotor means and also having fluid inlet-outlet openings for said fluid admission-exhaust means in said casing, and

(d) manifold means secured to each of said head means and having fluid inlet-outlet connections and manifold passages connected to said inlet-outlet openings in said head means.

20. The fluid flow device according to claim 19 and in which one pair of fluid admission-exhaust means in generally diametrically opposed input-output-bypass zones serve as fluid admission means and the second pair serve as fluid exhaust means.

21. The fluid flow device according to claim 20 and in which said fluid admission means open into one side of said casing to communicate with generally diametrically input-output-bypass zones and said exhaust means open into the opposite side of said casing to communicate with generally diametrically input-output-bypass zones.

22. The fluid flow device according to claim 21 and in which said working faces and sealing faces number two each.

23. The fluid flow device according to claim 22 and in which each working face and input-output-bypass zone extends through an arc of substantially 45 24. The fluid flow device according to claim 21 and inwhich said rotor means includes a plurality of generally radially disposed slots to receive said vanes and having a recess in one end thereof so that said slots extend entirely through that portion which is recessed.

25. The fluid flow device of claim 24 and in which said vane guide means has generally arcuate Working guide surfaces generally concentric with said working faces and also having generally arcuate sealing guide surfaces gen erally concentric with said sealing faces.

26. The fluid flow device according to claim 25 and in which said vane guide means extends to approximately the midway point into said rotor means recess.

27. The fluid flow device according to claim 26 and in which the'radial distance between said working guide surfaces and said working faces and the radial distance between said sealing guide surfaces and said sealing faces are substantially the same.

28. The fluid flow device according to claim 27 and in which said working guide and sealing guide surfaces also extend through an arc of substantially 45 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,035,465 3/1936 Erskine et al.

- 103136(R-1)UX 2,330,565 9/1943 Eckart 103l36(R-2)UX 2,371,942 3/ 1945 Armstrong l03--136(R2)UX 2,791,185 5/1957 Bohnholf et al. 103136 2,880,677 4/1959 Grupen 103-136X 3,450,057 6/ 1969 Baines et al. 103-l36 3,469,500' 9/1969 Lutz et al. 103136X FOREIGN PATENTS 78,673 l/1950 Czechoslovakia MARK M. NEWMAN, Primary Examiner W. J. KRAUSS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 41 8260 

